Story Time: The First To Know

Only Not Light Bulbs

Shared ride ping in Oakland. I roll on up to a happy young woman who is practically vibrating with excitement to get in the car. She sits in the front seat. I give her the usual intro (water, cough drops, breath mints, destination). She confirms the address, and tells me that she's really been looking forward to taking a ride, because...

Since I am a total stranger, and someone she isn't ever going to see again...

It's totally safe and beyond the touch of all superstition for her to tell me, first among all humans on the Earth...

That she's pregnant.

For the first time, overjoyed to be so, but barely a month into it and doesn't want to tell anyone in her world, because it's Too Soon and Bad Luck and all that.

I congratulate her, tell her a little about what to expect from my understanding of it (father of two)...

And share her good news with the next two people in the shared ride.

Because it's not as if they are going to tell anyone she knows, either...